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Analysis commissioned by the council has shown up to 3,700 households in the city could lose more than £100 a week if they were moved to UC immediately, and up to 12,800 could lose more than £30 a week. But the council expects any impact to be gradual.

In parts of the country where the full roll-out of UC has already taken place, local authorities have reported increases in rent arrears and evictions, as well as increased demand for advice services.

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Simon Harris, chief executive of Stoke-on-Trent Citizens Advice Bureau, believes the change to UC could be particularly difficult for people working in the ‘gig’ economy due to their fluctuating incomes. But he says that the Government has addressed previous concerns with UC.

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He said: “Unlike other benefit changes, the roll-out of UC has been almost glacially slow, as the Department for Work and Pensions knows that if it messes it up the effects could be catastrophric. And to be fair to the DWP, when concerns have been raised, they have responded. For example, there were complaints that the cost of the helpline was too high, and so now it will be free to call it. They’ve also reduced the time you have to wait for the first payment.

“It’s difficult to predict what is going to happen when more people are moved to UC. But one of the things we are concerned about is how it will affect people with fluctuating incomes, such as self-employed workers, and those who are classed as self-employed by their companies.

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“At the moment, if you’re receiving Tax Credits, you will be reassessed every year and the DWP will mostly leave you alone. But under UC these people will have to report their hours on a monthly basis, and some might find that more trouble than it’s worth. UC is meant to simplify the benefits system by combining six benefits into one, but for some people it’s going to be a lot more complicated.

“One group that could be affected are home-care workers. They might not be paid for travelling between people’s houses, so even though they might be at work, they’re not earning any money. So it all depends on how strictly the DWP is going to enforce the rules.”

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Mr Harris anticipates that more people will ask for help from the CAB once the full roll-out begins in Stoke-on-Trent.

The city council has received £81,009 of grant funding from the DWP to help it provide services supporting UC claimants. Council officials expect that more than 1,300 people will need help in making their claims online, or with personal budgeting. UC is paid monthly in arrears, meaning claimants are expected to take more responsibility for managing their household budgets.

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Cabinet members will be given an update on the steps the council has taken to prepare for UC’s full roll-out when they meet later today.

A report to cabinet states: “Universal Credit is a welfare reform measure which is aimed at supporting more people into work, simplifying welfare payments for people who claim multiple benefits and linking payments more closely to current earnings.

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“The transition from multiple weekly benefit payments to a single monthly payment is intended to prepare claimants for entering employment and foster greater levels of independence and resilience.

“However, evidence from other parts of the country indicates that the transition to Universal Credit can be problematic for welfare claimants, and particularly for low-income households. Stoke-on-Trent has above-average numbers of adults who are unemployed and/or economically inactive, as well as high levels of digital and financial exclusion, and the city council is committed to working with partners to address these issues.”